Project 543 tells the story of unique spots across North Carolina we hope will become some of your favorite places. Why 543? Because that’s the number of miles from Manteo, on the coast, to Murphy, in the mountains, and is traditionally considered to be the width of our state. The entries in this project are in no particular order, and we’ll add to them each week. Check in often to find inspiration for your next trip, or start planning today at VisitNC.com.

What is Project 543?

Project 543 tells the story of unique spots across North Carolina we hope will become some of your favorite places. Why 543? Because that’s the number of miles from Manteo, on the coast, to Murphy, in the mountains, and is traditionally considered to be the width of our state. The entries in this project are in no particular order, and we’ll add to them each week. Check in often to find inspiration for your next trip, or start planning today at VisitNC.com.

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Visit the site of the first armed revolt against British taxation

The serene setting of North Carolina’s Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson Historic Site near Southport on the state’s southern coast belies the fact that this place played a part in so many historical conflicts, including being one of the first sites of armed revolt against British taxation. Some eight years before the Boston Tea Party, the people of what was then known as Brunswick Town got fed up with British tax stamps and took up arms to stop them from being enforced. The town was no stranger to conflict, having been ransacked by Spanish sailors in 1748. As payback for the tax revolt, much of the town was burned by British troops in 1776 and never rebuilt. Brunswick originally had been a major port and political center but was in decline by the time of the Revolutionary War. The site was later used during the Civil War when the Confederates built Fort Anderson atop the old village. The Union didn’t treat it much better than the British, attacking the fort from land and sea. Visitors today can see the colonial foundations and the earthworks of the Confederate fort on the site’s trail tour and see exhibits on both the site’s Revolutionary War and Civil War history at its visitor center. Miraculously, the walls of the St. Philips Church survived both wars. The church ruins are still used today as an outdoor wedding venue. The Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson Historic Site is a popular stop on North Carolina’s Civil War Trail.